Senior Scientist, Engineering (I/II) - Automation

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Organization Description

The scientists and engineers within AbbVie's Synthetic Molecules Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (SM CMC) organization within Development Sciences work in multi-functional teams to develop scalable processes and enable clinical supplies for safety testing, clinical trials, and formulation development. Scientists focus on ensuring the process can be run safely, identifying and addressing major scale-up issues, ensuring product quality, and developing a scientific understanding of key performance indicators. Later in development, scientists and engineers then work to optimize the process, develop a commercializable production strategy, and lead technology transfer activities. Throughout the development process, a focus on building process understanding, automation of experimental equipment, use of data-rich experimental tools, and modeling of experimental learnings are key. Team members create valuable intellectual property through composition of matter, processes, and technologies resulting in robust and effective manufacturing processes.

Job Description

The Senior Automation Engineer will play a key role in AbbVie’s laboratory automation development and deployment as we continue developing AbbVie’s Labs of the Future. Throughout the development lifecycle, lab automation, data analysis and data management play a significant role in gaining organizational efficiency and generating scientific insights. The vision of the automation team is to transform the culture and the way we do research to enhance safety, access new enabling capabilities, and gain efficiency in development of life-changing medicines with high-quality data through a deliberate and sustainable automation competency. The tools generated by this role will be instrumental in developing end-to-end automated solutions and data analytics to laboratory scientists, allowing them to reduce risk and make faster decisions that directly impact drug substance and drug product pipeline development.

We are seeking a talented Automation Scientist to develop robotics and automated solutions. In order to do so, the ideal candidate will integrate a combination of off-the-shelf and custom-built components to provide innovative platforms for AbbVie researchers to execute experiments. This role requires fluid communication in cross-functional teams to understand the essence of user needs while deploying powerful automated equipment to improve R&D productivity. The candidate will also facilitate collection, reporting, and analysis of performance data via online analytical tools and sensor data in an actionable form. As such, the candidate will integrate knowledge driven and first principles regression into the deliveries as well as applying data driven and AI/ML tools (Bayesian optimization, NN, NODE, DOE, etc.) in order to facilitate rapid optimization. As such, the candidate will not only build automated lab equipment but work towards fully autonomous solutions. Ideal candidates should possess a BS/MS/PhD degree in a discipline with a strong background on hardware integration, analytical tools, and data handling with experience in chemical process development.

Responsibilities:

• Lead delivery of custom and off-the-shelf automated laboratory systems to chemistry, engineering, and analytical team members.
• Proactively develop innovative automation and data handling solutions.
• Partner with technical staff to understand business challenges and effectively guide toward sustainable solutions.
• Partner with Development Sciences Digital Transformation team to develop and deploy scalable and maintainable performance reporting.
• Build robust, automated and autonomous end-to-end solutions for various workflows, e.g., from instrument measurement to a data warehouse.
• Apply an operational excellence mindset to help identify, devise, and recommend new opportunities to optimize current processes.
• Integrate modeling approaches with experimental tools to help scientists develop processes with increased efficiency.

• BS, MS, or PhD degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering or equivalent.
• BS, MS, or PhD in Chemical/Bio Engineering or a related field and 12+ (BS), 10+ (MS), or 4+ (PhD) years of relevant industrial experience. The final determination on the title and grade level will be based on the experience of the candidate.
• Experience coordinating technical projects through to delivery.
• Proven experience bringing new automation equipment and processes on-line, from initial startup to reaching targeted metrics such as rate, yield, deployment time, etc.
• Delivered projects into environments such as R&D labs, manufacturing, etc.
• Experience with various programming languages, such as Python, Visual Basic, C, C#, C++, etc and experience with automation ecosystems, such as Ignition.
• Proficiency using business/project management software like MS Excel, MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet, etc.
• Proven written and verbal communication skills and ability to succinctly summarize key findings.

Key Competencies:

• Partners with R&D scientific & technical staff to understand business challenges and effectively guide toward sustainable solutions.
• Develop group vision and objectives in collaboration with key stakeholders to support team strategies and goals.
• Act as a strong team player in a cross functional collaborative environment thriving for world class excellence.
• Learns fast, grasps the "essence" and can change course quickly where indicated.
• Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.
• Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
• Ability to manage people and lead projects to deliver a common set of objectives.
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills and specifically
  • Illustrate strong oral and written technical communications
  • Seamlessly present automation solutions to multifunctional teams
  • Educate and train colleagues on various tools and techniques

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
• This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

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